Primordial Emperor
Chapter 506

Chapter 506: 506

Lin Chen didn’t take Cheng Huan’s attitude to heart.

Then, everyone boarded a small flying boat and set off for the Qingmu Kingdom.

Ten days later, the flying boat arrived in the Qingmu Kingdom.

However, what was strange was that despite the Formation Sect having issued this task, there was no one from the Qingmu Kingdom to welcome them. It wasn’t until He Ye and Cheng Huan released powerful auras that they caught the attention of the Qingmu Kingdom, and only then did someone come to receive them.

Upon inquiry, it turned out that the people of the Qingmu Kingdom did not want the Formation Sect to interfere in the matter at all, and it seemed that they had kept the issue a secret. It was very strange how the Formation Sect had found out about it in the first place.

But since they had already arrived, whether the Qingmu Kingdom liked it or not, He Ye, Cheng Huan, and the others would not return to the Sect until they had completed the task.

"Hmph, it’s just a Second-Rank Vassal State, and yet when we arrived, there wasn’t even a high-ranking official to greet us. Even after we revealed our identities, there was only one elder to receive us. This Qingmu Kingdom really thinks too highly of itself," Cheng Huan said, looking at the people of the Qingmu Kingdom with great dissatisfaction.

Not just her, He Ye and the other Heavenly Prides of the Inner Sect all had displeased expressions on their faces.

They were used to being exalted within the Formation Sect, and were unaccustomed to this kind of neglect.

"This matter is probably not as simple as it seems. The person who relayed the task to our Formation Sect is the Crown Prince of the Qingmu Kingdom, yet the person who received us was a mere subordinate. Something doesn’t add up," He Ye speculated.

"Perhaps there’s a conflict within the Qingmu Empire, which has led to this situation. It may not be that the Monarch of Qingmu does not wish to meet us, but rather that he may not be in a position to do so."

"We need to investigate further before taking any rash actions," Lin Chen frowned slightly as he expressed his opinion, but faced opposition from Cheng Huan.

"Investigate? Why should we investigate? Can’t we simply go to the imperial palace and ask the Emperor of Qingmu?" Cheng Huan glanced at Lin Chen and spoke out immediately.

Cheng Huan never had much respect for Lin Chen, whose cultivation was modest. Listening to Lin Chen’s opinion further confirmed her belief that he was incompetent.

Following that, Cheng Huan and He Ye led three Inner Sect Disciples of the Formation Sect towards the Grand Hall of the imperial palace.

Xia Wanxin, Qin Kaifeng, and Ouyang Xuan looked at Lin Chen, and seeing that he had no intention of moving, they inquired about his opinion.

"Asking Qing Xuan now will surely yield nothing; we might not even get to see his face."

"This matter can only start with Qing Wu, after all, it was he who initiated this task with the Formation Sect."

After Lin Chen shared his thoughts, Xia Wanxin and the others immediately agreed.

"So the place we are now heading to is not the Qiankun Hall of the Emperor, but the Crown Prince’s Palace?" Xia Wanxin followed Lin Chen’s lead and continued.

However, Lin Chen shook his head.

"The Crown Prince’s Palace may not necessarily allow us to see the Crown Prince."

"No, it’s more accurate to say we definitely won’t see him. Since he was the one who made the task request to the Formation Sect, if he were free to come and go, he would have met us when our flying boat landed."

Lin Chen spoke calmly.

Upon hearing this, Xia Wanxin, Qin Kaifeng, and Ouyang Xuan immediately furrowed their brows.

"Brother Lin, are you suggesting that the Crown Prince has been put under house arrest?"

"Or perhaps, he has been killed?"

Qin Kaifeng and the others finally grasped the severity of the situation. This was not a simple case of a disappearance or assassination; it was likely an internal struggle within the Qingmu Empire.

Furthermore, there might be forces involved aside from the Formation Sect, such as the Moon Shadow Pavilion under the Red Soul Hall, as they were the most adept at handling such matters.

Upon hearing this, Lin Chen nodded.

"Damned Qing Xuan, claiming to be ill and refusing to meet us."

"He thinks he is someone important? He’s just a ruler of a Second-Rank Vassal State relying on the Formation Sect, yet he dares to refuse to meet us," Cheng Huan fumed with anger.

Soon, Cheng Huan, He Ye, and the others returned with faces flushed with anger, evidently not having met with the Emperor of the Qingmu Empire, just as Lin Chen had guessed.

Although the Qingmu Empire was a Second-Rank Vassal State under the Formation Sect, Qing Xuan, as the ruler of a nation, was not obligated to meet these Inner Sect Disciples.

If he had come to meet them, it would have been a sign of respect, giving them face, but if he chose not to meet them, there was nothing particularly improper about it.

After all, Cheng Huan and the others were merely Inner Sect Disciples, not Elders or Peak Masters of the Formation Sect.

While Cheng Huan and He Ye were returning, Ouyang Xuan, who had gone to the Crown Prince’s Mansion upon hearing Lin Chen’s words, also returned.

"No, according to the people at the Crown Prince’s Mansion, the Crown Prince Qing Wu disappeared a month ago," Ouyang Xuan reported.

Upon hearing this, Lin Chen immediately frowned, because a month ago was exactly when the Formation Sect had received the mission request from the Qingmu Empire.

"It seems this matter is more troublesome than we anticipated; we may even be in danger!" Lin Chen spoke softly, raising his head to survey the surroundings.

Hearing this, Qin Kaifeng, Cheng Huan, and the others also looked around. At some point, squads of soldiers had begun patrolling the area.

While it appeared to be a normal patrol, they never wandered more than ten miles away from Lin Chen and his group.

Clearly, these troops were there to monitor them, or perhaps even prepared to take action against Lin Chen and his comrades at any moment.

"Do you mean to say that the Qingmu Kingdom dares to make a move against us?" Cheng Huan frowned slightly, glancing at the distant soldiers and addressing Lin Chen.

In response to Cheng Huan’s earlier disdain and her current reaction to his words, Lin Chen had fundamentally changed her opinion of him.